God is our destination; He is the Promised Land.
Man has always lived in God. Moses says:
“LORD, you have been our dwelling place in all generations. (Psalm 90:1).
Paul reiterates this:
“In (God) we live, and move, and have our being.” (Acts 17:28).
However, we did not know this because God is spirit and, since Adam, man has been spiritually dead.
But all this changed with the redeeming work of Jesus Christ, which re-ignited spiritual man.
“This mystery has been kept in the dark for a long time, but now it’s out in the open. God wanted everyone, not just Jews, to know this rich and glorious secret inside and out, regardless of their background, regardless of their religious standing. The mystery in a nutshell is just this: Christ is in you; therefore, you can look forward to sharing in God’s glory.” (Colossians 1:26-27).
Accordingly, when we receive Christ as Lord and Saviour, we develop a consciousness of God. God becomes a living reality in our lives. When this happens, God’s Holy Spirit comes to live in our hearts. He takes up residence in us. As a result, like the Prodigal Son, we are back where we belong: at home with God.
“Now you are no longer strangers to God and foreigners to heaven, but you are members of God’s very own family, citizens of God’s country, and you belong in God’s household with every other Christian.” (Ephesians 2:19).
When we are born again, we can now see the kingdom of God. (John 3:3). We can now clearly see the invisible attributes of God. (Romans 1:20). We become mindful of the things of God, as opposed to the things of men. (Matthew 16:23). We now realise that we are living with Immanuel, who is “God with us.” (Matthew 1:23).
Walking in the Spirit
The Bible makes a distinction between “living in the Spirit” and “walking in the Spirit.” The difference is similar to that between living with someone but not going out with him, and living with someone and always going everywhere with him.
Paul prescribes the latter:
“If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.” (Galatians 5:25).
Of course, before you can walk in the Holy Spirit, you have to live in the Holy Spirit.
Once the Holy Spirit moves in, He never leaves. But He is such a gentle Spirit that, if we don’t make a point of always interacting with Him, He remains silent, and we might easily lose consciousness of Him. Therefore, it is imperative to be aware that God is with us at all times. We should involve Him in every aspect of our lives. We must seek His counsel, His protection, and His guidance in everything we do.
“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths.” (Proverbs 3:5-6).
The Bible talks of “walking in the Spirit.” Walking is progressive. You are going somewhere. It is an educational journey. There will be lots of adventure along the way.
Amos asks:
“Can two walk together unless they are agreed?” (Amos 3:3).
The answer is “No!” If you are to walk in the Holy Spirit, then you must agree with Him. You must walk in the ways of God. You must walk in the light of His word. You must make His word a lamp to your feet and a light to your path. (Psalm 119:105).
Can two walk together unless they are going at the very least, in the same direction? Again, the answer is “No!” God is our destination; He is the Promised Land. Therefore, Jesus must be:
“The way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through (him).” (John 14:6).
At One With God
If Jesus and the Father are one, the same principle applies to Jesus and the believer. Jesus says: “When I come back to life again, you will know that I am in My Father, and you in Me, and I in you.” (John 14:20).
In His prayer for the unity of present and future believers, Jesus asks God that:
“They will be of one heart and mind, just as You and I are, Father – that just as You are in Me and I am in You, so they will be in Us.” (John 17:21).
In effect, the atonement means the Holy Spirit makes us one with God. Therefore, the believer is enjoined to lose his self-consciousness and to replace this with a God consciousness; so much so that:
“Whatsoever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus.” (Colossians 3:17).
When we do this, we find that the Holy Spirit silently overshadows us, so that we no longer know where we end and where God begins. David was so focused on God that the psalms he wrote expressed the very sentiments of Jesus:
“My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why do you refuse to help me or even to listen to my groans? (Psalm 22:1).
Paul just wrote letters to Timothy, Titus, and Philemon, and yet his letters became canons of scripture. John wrote private letters to a chosen lady, and yet the letters became the word of God. In effect, these men had so walked with God that you could no longer distinguish where Christ ended, and they began. They understood the inheritance of the atonement and were now at one with Christ and with God.
Jesus says:
“I will not leave you orphaned. I’m coming back. In just a little while, the world will no longer see Me, but you are going to see Me because I am alive, and you are about to come alive. At that moment, you will know absolutely that I’m in My Father, and you’re in Me, and I’m in you.” (John 14:18-20).